Cisco AP rejecting non-Cisco clients

Hi,

I recently upgraded the firmware (c1200-k9w7-tar.123-8.JA2) in my Cisco
1200 and 1100 APs. Unfortunately something very odd is now happening.

Cisco client cards (Windows), Xyxel USB (Windows), an Intel ProWireless
3945 (Linux), a wireless PDA and an Asus wireless bridge all connect fine.

However, any of the ten Orinoco Gold cards and an Intel ProWireless 2100
simply do not even see the SSID. It is like there is no wireless signal
that they can see.

I have turned off all security and numerous times been through making sure
all the Cisco extensions are disabled, min rate is set to 1Mb etc. - but
these older cards just will not even see the wireless signal. There is
nothing in the firmware release notes which is relevant either.

I have Netstumbler running on the Intel 2100 card and it has picked up
every wireless network in the neighbourhood but cannot see the Cisco 1200
that is sitting underneath it!

I have a Chinese no-brand AP which everything can see fine. It seems the
recent Cisco firmwares have added something to make them incompatible.

Anyone have any ideas or heard anything on these lines?

Cheers
NK

On Mon, 20 Aug 2007 18:10:16 +0000, Noel wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I recently upgraded the firmware (c1200-k9w7-tar.123-8.JA2) in my Cisco
> 1200 and 1100 APs. Unfortunately something very odd is now happening.

As a follow up to this, I just managed to find an old download of the
Cisco IOS from last year - c1200-k9w7-tar.123-7.JA1.tar - and have
downgraded the AP1200 to it. Now everything works fine again.

Clearly there is something incompatible in the latest Cisco firmwares and
you can't get the old firmwares from their download area.

If anyone needs the old firmware then let me know.

Cheers
NK

On Mon, 20 Aug 2007 18:18:38 GMT, Noel <2007@take.this.bit.off.lolith.net> wrote:

~ On Mon, 20 Aug 2007 18:10:16 +0000, Noel wrote:
~
~ > Hi,
~ >
~ > I recently upgraded the firmware (c1200-k9w7-tar.123-8.JA2) in my Cisco
~ > 1200 and 1100 APs. Unfortunately something very odd is now happening.
~
~ As a follow up to this, I just managed to find an old download of the
~ Cisco IOS from last year - c1200-k9w7-tar.123-7.JA1.tar - and have
~ downgraded the AP1200 to it. Now everything works fine again.
~
~ Clearly there is something incompatible in the latest Cisco firmwares and
~ you can't get the old firmwares from their download area.
~
~ If anyone needs the old firmware then let me know.
~
~ Cheers
~ NK

Hm. We know of a compatibility problem between Broadcom clients and aIOS
12.3(8)JA and above (CSCsf03190), but I'm not aware of one like this with
the Intel 2100s or the Orinoco Gold (Agere Hermes?) adapters. It would be
interesting to find out what the cause of this is.

As far as getting older 12.3(7)JA based IOS - that is available for download
from www (need to register for a CCO account if you don't have one -
a guest level account will work.) I would recommend 12.3(7)JA5 which has
security fixes that are missing from JA1.
http://tools.cisco.com/support/downl...utype=wireless

Regards,

Aaron

On Mon, 20 Aug 2007 11:50:22 -0700, Aaron Leonard wrote:

> a guest level account will work.) I would recommend 12.3(7)JA5 which has
> security fixes that are missing from JA1.

Yes - thanks Aaron that firmware works OK too.

I am very pleased to hear that I am not alone in this! Really strange the
way the wireless signal is completely cloaked from these other devices.

Cheers
NK

On Mon, 20 Aug 2007 19:15:42 +0000, Noel wrote:

>> a guest level account will work.) I would recommend 12.3(7)JA5 which has
>> security fixes that are missing from JA1.
>
> Yes - thanks Aaron that firmware works OK too.

All going well until I tried to load older firmware on the AP1100. This is
the oldest I can download from Cisco and it won't recognise my other cards:

c1100-k9w7-tar.123-4.JA2.tar

So a little stuffed really. Does anyone know where I can get older
firmware for AP1100s?

Cheers
NK

~ >> a guest level account will work.) I would recommend 12.3(7)JA5 which has
~ >> security fixes that are missing from JA1.
~ >
~ > Yes - thanks Aaron that firmware works OK too.
~
~ All going well until I tried to load older firmware on the AP1100. This is
~ the oldest I can download from Cisco and it won't recognise my other cards:
~
~ c1100-k9w7-tar.123-4.JA2.tar
~
~ So a little stuffed really. Does anyone know where I can get older
~ firmware for AP1100s?
~
~ Cheers
~ NK

If you really NEED IOS that's older than what we have on CCO, then you'd need
to open a TAC case and get it posted for you. (The older code has security
flaws that preclude us from making it generally available.)

If you're looking for good old low-featured IOS for the AP1100, 12.2(15)XR2
was pretty solid.
Aaron

On Tue, 21 Aug 2007 10:22:30 -0700, Aaron Leonard wrote:

> If you really NEED IOS that's older than what we have on CCO, then you'd need
> to open a TAC case and get it posted for you. (The older code has security
> flaws that preclude us from making it generally available.)
>
> If you're looking for good old low-featured IOS for the AP1100, 12.2(15)XR2
> was pretty solid.
> Aaron

Thanks Aaron. I am asking the tech guys at my supplier if they have any
older firmware available.

Cheers
NK

On Mon, 20 Aug 2007, Noel wrote:

>
> I have Netstumbler running on the Intel 2100 card and it has picked up
> every wireless network in the neighbourhood but cannot see the Cisco 1200
> that is sitting underneath it!

Intel and Cisco have had some interoperability troubles latetly. Be glad
you're not running LWAPP/440x Controller Based wireless.

Make sure you're running 11.1.1.0 of the Intel client. (I think that one
supports the 2100)